Russian-Backed Separatists Enter Southeast Ukraine Town: Pro-Government Fighter

A crater made by a shell which is seen in eastern Ukraine (Reuters)

Kiev:  Separatists, backed by Russian soldiers, have entered the town of Novoazovsk in south-eastern Ukraine, a pro-government militia fighter said on Thursday.

"There is military equipment in Novoazovsk which came across the border two days ago from Russia," the fighter, from the so-called Azov battalion which supports the Ukrainian army, told Reuters by telephone.

"The equipment is carrying the flags of the DNR (Donetsk People's Republic) rebels but they are regular Russian forces," the fighter who did not wish to be identified by name, said.

Separately, a resident of the town on the Sea of Azov, who would only give his first name of Mykola, said: "The authorities in the town are DNR ones. Tanks are moving here and there out on the highway, but there is no fighting going on for the town."

On India's Killer Roads, 20 Children Under Age of 14 Die Every Day

Students in New Delhi boarding a public bus

New Delhi:  How safe are our children on India's roads?

Not very much if one were to go by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) which says that 20 children under the age of 14 die every day on the roads. Even as more than half of the world's countries have specific child safety laws in place, a World Health Organization (WHO) global status report of 2013 points out that India has none. In 2012, deaths of children while they commuted to schools increased by a whopping 39.5 percent.

"We require comprehensive guidelines. Globally, there are child restraint laws where kids in buses and cars are to be restraint with child seats belts and child seats. In China, there are mandatory child helmets and charges for adult accountability, where those accompanying kids will be held responsible for any lapses," said Piyush Tewari, founder and president of Save Life Foundation.

While school officials say the traffic police and the transport department must ensure more safety norms like speed breakers and availability of traffic cops outside schools, the police say schools also often flout safety norms.

"We have asked the police for roundabouts, speed breakers, bus stops, traffic cops near schools," said Ameeta Wattal, Principal of Springdales School.

While the Motor Vehicles Act has no statutes for the protection of children during commute, the only rules in place are the ones governing school buses, frequently violated by schools.

"Of the 2500 permits that we have cancelled since August 19 of buses, nearly 50 or more are of schools including many big private schools whose owners are not traceable," said Muktesh Chander, Special Commissioner, Traffic Police.

Perhaps this growing predicament is best described by a child.

"I do this every day. Yes, I feel scared a lot of times but my parents can't afford any other form of transport. Many times I have fallen too," said Dolly, a 13-year-old child, who along with her 5-year-old brother Krishna, takes the public bus every day after school.
 

Samsung Unveils Smartwatch That Can Make Calls

The Samsung Gear S Watch

Seoul, South Korea:  Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Thursday unveiled what it said was the first smartwatch capable of making and receiving calls without a mobile phone nearby, in the South Korean firm's latest effort to find a new growth driver.

The world's biggest smartphone maker has been pushing hard to develop the wearable devices market as it looks to counter slowing earnings in its mobile division, which led to weaker-than-expected second-quarter earnings.

Samsung is hardly alone in pushing wearables, which have yet to catch on with consumers. Rival Apple Inc is expected to launch its own device this year and LG Electronics Inc on Thursday announced its new G Watch R smartwatch featuring a circular plastic OLED screen, a stainless steel frame and leather strap.

Samsung's new smartwatch, called the Gear S, differs from its predecessors with a bigger 2-inch (5 cm) curved display and offers features like WiFi connectivity, pedestrian navigation and a built-in GPS. This device will run on Samsung's nascent Tizen operating system.

Samsung said the Gear S will start selling from October. It did not give details on pricing or where it will be available.

LG said its G Watch R will launch in key markets in the fourth quarter, without indicating a price.

Delhi: Rain Brings Respite From Sweltering Weather Conditions

Delhi:  Delhiites heaved a sigh of relief today as rain in some parts of the national capital brought the mercury down by a few notches.

The city has been reeling under intense heat conditions, with temperatures being as high as 39 degree Celsius this month, making it the hottest August in 12 years.

 The officials of the Indian Metrological Department(IMD) had predicted the possibility of light showers today.

 "There would be partly cloudy sky. Light rain or thunder storm may occurred in some parts of the national capital and maximum temperature is expected to settle at 36 degrees Celsius," an IMD official had said this morning.

 The minimum temperature settled at 28.4 degrees Celsius slightly more than yesterday's which settled at 27.5 degrees. Humidity on Friday hovered around 74 per cent in the city at 8.30 am.

Neuroscientists Say it's Possible to Overwrite Bad Memories

Representational Image

Tokyo:  Emotions connected to memories can be rewritten, making bad events in the past seem better and good things appear worse, scientists from Japan and the United States have found.

The discovery of the mechanism behind the process helps to explain the power of current psychotherapeutic treatments for mental illnesses such as depression or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), they said, and could offer new avenues for psychiatric help.

"These findings validate the success of current psychotherapy, by revealing its underlying mechanism," research leader Susumu Tonegawa told AFP in Tokyo.

The team, formed from a collaboration between Japan's RIKEN institute and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, used optogenetics -- a new brain-control technology which utilises light -- to better understand what happens when we reminisce.

They found that warm feelings or intense fear triggered by the interaction between the hippocampus -- the brain's diary room -- and the amygdala -- the place believed to encode positivity or negativity -- are more flexible than previously thought.

"It depends on how strongly the (good or bad aspect) dominates... there is competition between the two circuits' connection strengths," Tonegawa said.

The researchers injected two groups of male mice with light-sensitive algae protein.

This allowed them to identify the formation of a new memory as it was happening and then use pulses of light to reactivate it when they wanted to.

One group of rodents were allowed to play with female mice, creating a positive memory. The other group were given a small but unpleasant electric shock through the floor.

Painful memory

Researchers then artificially reactivated the memory using the light pulses -- effectively making the mice remember what had happened to them.

While the mice were "remembering" their event, they were given the opposite experience -- the mice with the nice memory got a shock, while those with the painful memory were introduced to females.
Tonegawa said his team had discovered that the emotion of the new experience overpowered the original emotion, rewriting how the mice felt about it.

"We did a test in the original chamber and the original fear memory was gone," he said.

However, the over-writing of a memory was only possible by manipulating the hippocampus, which is sensitive to context. The same result could not be achieved by manipulating the amygdala.

Tonegawa said the connection between the contextual memory in the hippocampus and the "good" or "bad" emotions in the amygdala became stronger or weaker depending on what was experienced.

The researchers hope their findings might open up new possibilities for treatment of mood-affecting disorders such as depression, or PTSD, a condition found in people such as soldiers who have undergone life-threatening or particularly horrific events.

"In the future, I would like to think that with new technology we will be able to wirelessly control neurons in the brain, without intrusive tools like electrodes," said Tonegawa, who won the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine in 1987.

"We could possibly augment good memories over bad ones," he said.
The research paper is published in Nature.

In a commentary, also carried by Nature, cognitive researchers Tomonori Takeuchi and Richard Morris at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland said the study broke new ground in exploring the mechanisms of memory, although optogenetics had limitations as a tool for doing this.

"Molecular engineering is nonetheless shedding light on our understanding of the underlying physiological networks of memory," they wrote.

US Slaps Sanctions Against Suspected LeT Leader, Its Financial Conduit

Washington:  The US on Wednesday slapped sanctions against a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader and a financial conduit of the Pakistan-based terrorist group that has been involved in a series of attacks in India, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

The US Department of Treasury targeted the leadership and financial networks of LeT by designating Muhammad Iqbal and Asma Money Exchangers as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).

Iqbal and Asma Money Exchangers are being designated for providing financial, material, or technological support to, or financial or other services to or in support of LeT.

Asma Money Exchangers is also designated for being owned or controlled by Iqbal, the Treasury said.

"Muhammad Iqbal exploited the trust placed in him as a financial intermediary to help LT receive money through his business, Asma Money Exchangers," said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S Cohen.

"Money service providers and other financial institutions must be careful gatekeepers, and keep terrorist money out of the international financial system," he added.

Iqbal is a founding member of LeT-affiliated NGO Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation's (FIF) governing board.

Since its inception LeT has been focused on carrying out major terrorist attacks inside India.

LeT claimed responsibility for the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks that killed at least 166 people.

The State Department identified FIF as an alias of the LeT in November 2010.

"Iqbal uses his business, Asma Money Exchangers (AME), to conduct financial transactions on behalf of the LeT and its affiliates," the Treasury said.

As of April 2013, Iqbal informed customers that they could send money from AME to LeT front Jamaat-ud Dawa (JUD), which the State Department identified as an alias of LeT in April 2006.

As of 2010, Iqbal has also served as FIF's Finance secretary.

In this role, Iqbal shared responsibility along with six other FIF officers for approving new members of the group.

A Mother's Appeal as Fears Mount for Syria Hostages

Members of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

Washington:  The mother of a US hostage who has been threatened with death by jihadist militants pleaded for his life on Wednesday amid mounting fears for Americans captured in Syria.

Last week's murder of journalist James Foley by the so-called Islamic State has focused attention on other American hostages, including 31-year-old freelancer Steven Sotloff.

Another journalist, Peter Theo Curtis, returned home Tuesday after nearly two years in captivity, but US media reported the Islamic State is still holding a 26-year-old female aid worker.

The masked militant seen beheading Foley in a video released by the group also threatened to kill Sotloff unless US President Barack Obama orders a halt to air strikes against the group.

Mother's appeal for mercy

On Wednesday, Sotloff's mother Shirley issued a video appeal in which she directly addressed IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, begging him to spare her son from the same grisly fate.

"My son Steven is in your hands," she said, looking tired and tense but controlled. "He is a journalist who made a journey to cover the story of Muslims suffering at the hands of tyrants."

"As a mother, I ask your justice to be merciful and not punish my son for matters he has no control over."

A spokesman for the White House could not say whether the US administration had advised the family for or against making the video appeal.

"She obviously, as is evident from the video, feels desperate about the -- about the safety and well-being of her son, and understandably so," Josh Earnest said.

"And that is why our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Sotloff's family at this very difficult and trying time.

"As you know, this administration is deeply engaged in doing everything we can to seek the return of every American who is currently being held in that region."

Sotloff disappeared while reporting in Syria in August 2013. His apparent kidnapping was not widely reported until he appeared on the video released last week by the Islamic State.

"We have not seen Steven for over a year and we miss him very much. We want to see him home safe and sound and to hug him," Shirley Sotloff said.

"Since his capture, I have learned a lot about Islam. I've learned that Islam teaches that no individual should be held responsible for the sins of others," she said.

"Steven has no control over the actions of the US government. He's an innocent journalist. I've always learned that you, the Caliph, can grant amnesty. I ask you to please release my child.

"I ask you to use your authority to spare his life and to follow the example set by the Prophet Mohammed."

The Islamic State, a jihadist militant group, has declared the stretch of territory it controls in eastern Syria and northern Iraq to be the heartland of a new caliphate and Baghdadi the leader of all Muslims.

Other hostages

The appeal for Sotloff came as ABC News and other US media reported that a 26-year-old female American aid worker is also being held by the Islamic State.

Foley, in a letter to his family committed to memory by a released Danish hostage, said that at one point he was being held with 17 people -- although several Europeans have been released.

Although their governments deny it, it has been widely reported that European countries have paid ransoms to the Islamic State for the safe return of their nationals.

The United States traditionally refuses to negotiate with groups it considers terrorists and it has continued its air strikes against IS targets in Iraq since Foley's murder.

There was better news, however, for another US journalist who was captured in Syria by a different jihadist group, the Al Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front, in October 2012.

Curtis, 45, arrived in Boston from Tel Aviv after having been released on Sunday to UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights. Qatari agents negotiated his freedom from the rebels.

The freelance journalist and author made a brief statement Wednesday to reporters outside his mother's house in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"I had no idea when I was in prison... that so much effort was being expended on my behalf," he said. "Now having found out, I am just overwhelmed with emotion."

Curtis's family has said the Qatari government had reassured them that it had not won his freedom by paying a ransom.

Ratan Tata Invests in E-Commerce Site Snapdeal

Mumbai: Ratan Tata, former chairman of the salt-to-steel Tata conglomerate, has bought a stake in Indian online retailer Snapdeal, the company said on Wednesday, joining a list of funds who have invested in the country's growing e-commerce industry.
Snapdeal, an online marketplace that facilitates transactions between third party suppliers and customers, did not give the size or financial details of the deal.
Tata joins investors including Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC Private Ltd, Tiger Global Management LLC and Accel Partners, who have invested in Indian online retailers, betting on growth in the $13 billion e-commerce sector.
Indian online firms have been raising funds to compete with bigger rival Amazon.com Inc and expand as more Indians shop online.
Snapdeal raised $100 million earlier this year from five investors including Singapore's Temasek Holdings.
Flipkart, the country's largest online retailer, raised $1 billion (Rs. 6,000 crore at 1 dollar = 60 rupees) last month to scale up and counter increasing competition, while Amazon.com has said it would invest more than $2 billion in the country.

High Court of Judicature at Allahabad Notified Recruitment to 327 Posts of Stenographer 2014

High Court of Judicature at Allahabad invited application for recruitment to the post of Stenographer (Grade-III). The candidates eligible for the post can apply through prescribed format before 12 September 2014.
Important Dates

• Opening Date for Registration:  21 August 2014
• Closing Date for Registration: 12 September 2014

Details of Post

• Name of Post: Stenographer (Grade-III)
• Number of Post: 327 Posts

Pay Scale: Pay Band I Rs.5200-20200/- Grade Pay- Rs.2800/-
Eligibility Criteria
For Hindi Stenographers;- Graduation with Diploma or certificate in Stenography with a speed of 80 w.p.m. in shorthand and 30 w.p.m. in Typing both in Hindi alongwith CCC certificate issued by DOEACC Society and 25/30 w.p.m. for Hindi/ English Typewriting on Computer.
For English Stenographers;- Graduation with Diploma or certificate in Stenography with a speed of 100 w.p.m. in shorthand and 40 w.p.m. in Typing both in English alongwith CCC certificate issued by DOEACC Society and 25/30 w.p.m. for Hindi/ English Typewriting on Computer.

Central Employment Exchange Notified Recruitment for 40 Various Posts 2014

Central Employment Exchange invited applications for recruitment of 40 various posts. The candidates eligible for the post can apply through prescribed format before 8 September 2014.
Important Dates

• Last Date for Receipt of Application forms: 8 September 2014
• Last Date for Receipt of Application forms for candidates residing in Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Jammu & Kashmir, Lauhl & Spiti districts and Pangi Sub Division of Chamba District of Himachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands or abroad: 15 September 2014

Vacancy details:

1. Vocational Instructor (commercial): 1 post
2. Vocational Instructor (Radio & TV): 1 post
3. Assistant cameraman: 3 posts
4. Navigational Assistant: 31 posts
5. Research Assistant (Botany): 1 post
6. Primary teacher: 1 post
7. Trained graduate teacher: 2 posts

Total No. of Posts: 40 Posts
Pay Scale:

• Vocational Instructor (commercial): Rs.9300-34800/- + GP Rs.4200/-
• Vocational Instructor (Radio & TV): Rs.9300-34800/- + GP Rs.4200/-
• Assistant cameraman: Rs.9300-34800/- + GP Rs.4200/-
• Navigational Assistant: Rs.5200-20200/- + GP Rs.2800/-
• Research Assistant (Botany): Rs.5200-20200/- + GP Rs.2800/-
• Primary teacher: Rs.9300-34800/- + GP Rs.4200/-
• Trained graduate teacher: Rs.9300-34800/- + GP Rs.4600/-

Eligibility Criteria
Educational Qualification

• Vocational Instructor (commercial): Graduate and Diploma certificate in commercial or Secretarial practice.
• Vocational Instructor (Radio & TV): 10^th passed or equivalent and NTC/NAC certificate in relevant trade.
• Assistant cameraman: 12^th passed or equivalent and Diploma in Motion Picture Photography.
• Navigational Assistant: Diploma in Electronics or telecommunication or Electronics & Communication or Electrical & Electronics.
• Research Assistant (Botany): Master degree in Botany or in Pharmacy.
• Primary teacher: 12^th passed or equivalent, Degree or Post Graduate Diploma in Education or Teaching and should have passed CTET/ State TET.
• Trained graduate teacher: Graduate or degree in relevant subject, Degree or Post Graduate Diploma in Education or Teaching and should have passed CTET/ State TET.

Maximum Age limit

• Vocational Instructor (commercial): 30 years.
• Vocational Instructor (Radio & TV): 30 years.
• Assistant cameraman: 30 years.
• Navigational Assistant: 18-27 years.
• Research Assistant (Botany): 25 years.
• Primary teacher: Between 18-30 years.
• Trained graduate teacher: Between 18-30 years.

How to Apply

•  Eligible candidates may apply through prescribed application format, as given in the notification.
• The application complete in all respects along with attested copies of Educational Qualifications, other testimonials, proof of age and Category certificate etc. should be sent to the respective employment centers as mentioned in the notification before 8 September 2014.

Costly Spare Parts: Why Competition Commission Penalised 14 Carmakers

Ever wondered why your car servicing or repair bills are running into thousands, sometimes into lakhs. Or why, it's extremely difficult to get your high-end car repaired from your neighborhood mechanic?
The Competition Commission of India has the answer in a 215-page report, where it has pulled up all 14 car makers for "violating trade norms in the spare parts markets" and has imposed a penalty of Rs. 2,545 crore on them.
Domestic companies such as Maruti, Tata Motors and M&M as well as global bigwigs such as Honda, Volkswagen, Fiat, BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota are among those who have been penalised for "monopolistic control over spare parts and diagnostic tools."
Mahindra & Mahindra says it proposes to appeal against the order. Ford's India unit said it was reviewing the order and its implications, adding that the company had been working to enhance the availability of parts, Reuters said. Other carmakers are yet to comment.
The report says:
1) Most car manufacturers deny independent repairers (mechanics) and multi-brand service providers access to spare parts and tools/manuals to complete repair work. Spare parts and diagnostic tools are available only with their authorized dealers.
2) Most car manufacturers have restricted their authorized dealers from selling spare parts and diagnostic tools over the counter. They have also imposed restrictions on their respective local suppliers from supplying spare parts directly in the market.
3) These spare parts are sold at very high prices to customers. In fact, the mark-up in pricing of the top 50 spare parts ranges from 100 per cent to 5000 per cent. In simple terms, customers end up paying between double to 50 times the cost of the most commonly used spare parts.
4) Car manufacturers make sizeable profits from selling spare parts. According to a CII-McKinsey report, the aftermarket business is highly profitable for car manufacturers. Spare parts sale contributes a mere 24 per cent to revenues of manufacturers, but 55 per cent to overall profits.
5) Many car manufacturers are making losses in primary market and recouping the profits in the aftermarket from the sale of their brand of spare parts.
The anti-monopoly watchdog also highlighted some astonishing aspects of car manufacturers operating out of India:
1) Fiat, Skoda, Nissan and M&M don't allow over-the-counter sale of spare parts. These manufacturers cancel warranties of those customers, who get their cars repaired by an independent repairer in the post-warranty period.
2) Ford, Honda, Maruti, Volkswagen, Hindustan Motors, Toyota and Tata Motors cancel warranties if any part of their cars is repaired by an independent repairer in the post-warranty period.
3) General Motors and Mercedes-Benz are the only two manufacturers that to a limited extent allow the sale of their genuine spare parts over the counter.
4) Volkswagen made substantial losses from selling cars (2008-09), but made nearly 50 per cent profit from selling spares. Similarly, Fiat and Honda made losses on selling cars (2008-09), but made profits on sale of spares.
The CCI has directed manufacturers to put in place an effective system to make spare parts and diagnostic tools easily available through an efficient network. It has asked suppliers to sell spare parts in the open market without any restriction, including on prices.
The CCI has also directed manufacturers not to impose a blanket condition that warranties would be cancelled if the consumer avails of services of any independent repairer.
The CCI's ruling is a landmark for the automotive aftermarket, which is approximately Rs. 33,000 crore in size. Three-fourth of the aftermarket constitutes spare parts and one-fourth consists of maintenance and repair costs.
Maintenance and repair costs for car users in India could come down drastically if leading automobile manufacturers pay heed to the CCI's landmark ruling.

Air India Website Crashes on Day 1 of Tickets-for-Rs.100 Offer

New Delhi:  It's 'Air India Day' today but national carrier's site has crashed.This after they offered discounted tickets for Rs. 100 for a limited period.

Air India had announced it would celebrate August 27 as 'Air India Day' to mark its merger with Indian Airlines in 2007 as one entity.

To mark the occasion, the carrier launched 'Air India Offer' - a scheme offering tickets for Rs. 100 apart from all applicable taxes.

The sale of these tickets would be made only through the airline's website for five days from August 27 to 31 for travel during the period August 27 to September 30 only, an official spokesperson had said on Tuesday.

But on the first day of the scheme the site seems to have crashed due to unprecedented traffic. 

This is the error message we got, when we tried to login - 'Sorry for the inconvenience. It seems that the page you were trying to reach doesn't exist anymore, or maybe it has just moved.'

Indian Scout Unveiled; Now Available for Booking

After launching the Indian Classic, Vintage and Chieftain in January, 2014, Polaris India has now unveiled the new Indian Scout here. The company has also made the cruiser available for bookings from today. Mr Pankaj Dubey, Managing Director, Polaris India Pvt. Ltd., said, "The launch of the Indian Scout in the United States has proved to be successful in stirring a new wave of enthusiasm. The launch just added another feather in our effort to revive the history of Indian Motorcycle."
He further added, "The launched model is designed to possess the heritage of the past, blended with modern technology. We are now giving Indian enthusiasts a chance to own a piece of history in a modern package by booking their own Indian Scout."
Talking in terms of specifications, the all-new Indian Scout introduces the first-ever liquid-cooled Indian Motorcycle engine - a 1131cc V-twin engine that offers 100bhp of performance.

Fact check:
a. Engine: Liquid-cooled, 1131cc V-twin
b. Wheelbase: 1562mm
c. Ground clearance: 135mm
d. Dry Weight: 244Kg/253Kg
e. Design: Classic rigid triangle design coupled with premium monotube rear shocks. The American cruiser also gets 31 degrees of lean for precise maneuverability
f. Price: Starting from Rs. 11.99 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
You can get a sneak peek of the new Indian Scout on the company's website.

Leonardo DiCaprio Completes Ice Bucket Challenge

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The actor has reportedly donated a hefty sum of money on behalf of his foundation.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio finally took up the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and donated a hefty amount for the cause.

The 39-year-old was challenged on August 19 by former soccer star David Beckham, reported Us magazine. Leonardo, who famously died in freezing water in the 1997 blockbuster Titanic, posted a video on Facebook as he accepted the challenge.

Xiaomi Redmi 1S: First Impressions

Xiaomi Redmi 1S was launched in the Indian market priced at Rs. 5,999 on Tuesday. Just like the Xiaomi Mi 3, it will be available only through online flash sales starting September 2, with pre-registration for the first round having started on August 26.The company has promised that it will be able to offer more units of the Redmi 1S, which is good news considering the fact that the popular Mi 3 has received incredible response in each of the six flash sales held so far. Xiaomi will also offer a number of accessories such as flip cases, screen protectors, rear panels and covers on September 2, but these will remain available for purchase anytime.
The dual-SIM Xiaomi Redmi 1S was first announced for China in May, and the company stated in July that it would be coming to India priced at Rs. 6,999. It now seems that the company has managed to reduce this by Rs. 1,000 - Xiaomi has said this is not just an introductory offer and the price will not increase in future flash sales.
"The Redmi 1S is the first phone of the Redmi family made available in India. It offers the best quality and user experience and at a very affordable price point. The device offers a great 720p HD screen, an 8-megapixel camera that delivers superfine quality images, great battery life, and a range of software features as part of MIUI v5 that will make every Redmi 1S owner very happy," said Hugo Barra, Vice President, Xiaomi Global.
We at NDTV Gadgets got a chance to spend some time with the Xiaomi Redmi 1S smartphone, and these are our first impressions.
At first, the Xiaomi Redmi 1S feels premium and quite solid. Xiaomi is shipping the device in grey with a matte-finished rear panel, which is removable. The company will also be offering colourful replacement panels for the device, priced at Rs. 459 each.The Redmi 1S is a bit large, with thick bezels around the 4.7-inch IPS screen. The three capacitive touch buttons sit below the screen. Overall, the design feels quite old-school but build quality appears to be very decent for the price.
Xiaomi has made some tweaks to the Redmi 1S for India. The Corning Gorilla Glass 2 has been replaced with AGC Dragontrail glass, which the company believes will serve the purpose better. We tried scratching the display with a scissor, and it turned out to be strong enough to withstand that much damage. Of course, repeated abuse will result in damage, but the phone should be able to survive regular usage.
The Redmi 1S sport an 8-megapixel primary camera along with an LED flash, and a 1.6-megapixel secondary front-facing camera. In our limited time with the device, we took a few images indoors (see above) using the rear camera, and they looked pretty good for a device priced under Rs. 6,000. The camera is also capable of recording 1080p videos. We will test the camera in much more detail when we conduct our full review. Overall, our first impressions of the 8-megapixel camera are above average, and it seems as though we might have a new winner in the sub-Rs. 6,000 segment.(Also see: Xiaomi Mi3 (Review | Pictures)
The Redmi 1S runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with the custom MIUI v5 skin on top of it. Xiaomi has said that the device will be upgraded to Android 4.4 KitKat with MIUI v6 closer to the end of this year. The company is also planning several India-centric themes which will be offered to customers later. Xiaomi is currently testing a PC tool with which which users will be able to make their own themes for MIUI.
The Redmi 1S packs a quad-core 1.6GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. The 8GB of inbuilt storage (6.14GB user available) is expandable by up to 32GB using a microSD card. The power of this hardware appeared sufficient in our limited tests. Apps opened and closed swiftly, and the device didn't trouble us on the front.
So overall, we have very positive impressions of the new Xiaomi Redmi 1S. The only drawback is its design. Stay tuned for more detailed observations and comprehensive test results when we do a review.

Xiaomi Redmi 1S: First look

The Best Food Markets Around the World

La Boqueria in Barcelona or your local farmers' market? A Moroccan souk or a French street market? Share your favourite markets for fantastic food and spectacular sights



Off the main tourist drag of La Rambla in Barcelona, La Boqueria market is a tangle of colours, sounds, smells and flavours. La Boqueria has colourful displays of fresh fruit and vegetables, gaping fresh fish, beady-eyed poultry and giant hanging jamón. It has generous heaps of dried and candied fruits, rainbows of herbs and spices and piles and piles of irresistibly pretty chocolates. There are lively seafood restaurants and thriving street food stands, refreshing fresh juices and enticing tapas bars all around.

While there are undoubtedly less touristy and more authentic food markets in Barcelona, if you want a quick market fix and have limited time to search for them, La Boqueria hits the spot. Unless, perhaps, you are accustomed to even more intense market delights.

A friend I was visiting Barcelona with regularly goes to Morocco, and while I was cooing and gawping at La Boqueria, she was a little less impressed. For her, it would take a lot to beat Moroccan souks on food, atmosphere and experience. "Moroccan markets sell leather goods and clothes, but the main section of a souk is food," she said. "Natural, predominantly organic, fresh, locally produced food, the kind we would spend a fortune on in the UK. The Marrakech souk stretches for miles, and all the markets are packed, with people bustling about, carrying flimsy plastic bags full of vegetables, fruit, spices and meat."

Giant vats of olives, and spices of vibrant colours - bright red paprika, cumin seeds, saffron, turmeric - presented in huge cones, chickens running about (many won't see the market out, as you can choose the one you want and have it killed on the spot), mules pulling carts, a throng of people going about their business ... It beats a trip to the supermarket. Markets are natural attractions for hungry tourists; a rich, fun experience reflecting local cuisine, culture and lifestyle. There is plenty of room for interaction with locals, the chance to try out iffy language skills and the draw of a fresh, cheap lunch too.

Some of the more popular markets may have become such an attraction that you find your interactions are mostly with other tourists who keep stepping on your sandalled toes. The market of Uzès in France, with fresh local produce including fabulous cheese, charcuterie and artisan bread, is wonderful, but it can get hard to navigate the pretty Provençal streets during tourist season without being caught up in a browsing bottleneck.

My current local market in a suburb of Toulouse, south-west France, may not be as spectacular as La Boqueria or as pretty as Uzès and other, fancier French counterparts, but every week the alleys between stalls are crammed with local shoppers. There are larger-scale importers of produce, but you can easily opt to buy your food from stalls run by the people who grew it, and who can tell you that the marks on the vegetables are down to a recent hailstorm, or that they've struggled to keep deer away from the cabbages this week. There are local producers who drive small vans, and those who come in the car with a small table laden with home-grown produce from their vegetable patches and eggs from the hens in their gardens.

Several well-stocked cheesemongers sell a fine array of French cheese, from large, round truffled brie to tiny goat's cheeses. Local butchers set up a grill to entice shoppers with a taste of Toulouse sausages, and while not all service comes with a smile, there is a very jocular onion seller who calls everyone "tu" rather than the usual formal "vous". Markets, wherever they are, can offer a chaotic walking tour of local cuisine and culture, and a delicious way to mark the changing seasons. Here there are huge beefheart tomatoes, plump courgettes and fat aubergines in the heat of summer; giant wild mushrooms that draw crowds when the air turns cooler in the autumn; and spring garlic and early strawberries to remind you the warm weather is on its way back. Other markets are amazing to visit, but this is my favourite place to shop.

So which are your favourite markets in the world? Which are the most spectacular and fascinating you've visited? Which UK markets offer the best in home-grown produce, and which overseas markets should make it on to a food lover's bucket list?

Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja Script 133-Run Win For India Over England

Suresh Raina celebrates after scoring his fourth ODI century.

© AP

Cardiff: Suresh Raina's dynamic century laid the platform for world champions India's crushing 133-run win over England in the second one-day international at Cardiff on Wednesday. 

Victory gave India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series following Monday's washout in Bristol and saw them return to winning ways after their 3-1 defeat by England in the preceding Test series.
Raina's innings was the cornerstone of India's imposing 304 for six after England captain Alastair Cook won the toss.
England, chasing a rain-adjusted 295 off 47 overs in reply, were well-placed at 54 without loss.
But they lost all 10 wickets for 107 runs as they collapsed to 161 all out in 38.1 overs.
Spin, as has so often been the case, proved England's Achilles heel with left-armer Ravindra Jadeja taking four for 28 in seven overs.
India were in trouble at 19 for two before a stand of 91 between Rohit Sharma (52) and Ajinkya Rahane (41) revived the innings.
Left-hander Raina, who made exactly 100, and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (52), then strengthened the tourists' grip on the game with a fifth-wicket stand of 144.
Chris Woakes led England's attack with four for 52 in his 10 overs, with off-spinner James Tredwell (two for 42) the only other wicket-taking bowler in the innings.
England didn't help themselves by bowling 16 wides, with paceman Chris Jordan contributing 12 -- the equivalent of two extra overs -- in an expensive return of none for 73.
By contrast, India bowled just two wides.
Woakes struck twice in the seventh over, having opener Shikhar Dhawan caught behind before dismissing Virat Kohli for a duck as the talented right-hander's miserable tour of England continued when his powerful drive found Cook at mid-off.
His exit followed Kohli's meagre return of 134 runs at 13.4 during the Tests.
There was a case for keeping the new ball duo of James Anderson and Woakes going.
But Cook then made a double bowling change, seam-bowling all-rounders Jordan and Ben Stokes (none for 54 in seven overs) coming on instead.
India then cut loose before Tredwell had Rahane stumped by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler and then induced Sharm to hole out to Woakes at long-off.
Raina, however, launched Woakes for two sixes in four balls -- the first straight back over the bowler's head and the second high over long leg.
India scored 62 runs in five batting powerplay overs, with Raina contributing 41 off just 15 balls.
Raina completed a 74-ball century, including 12 fours and three sixes, with his second fifty taking just 25 balls.
He was dismissed for exactly 100 when he holed out off Woakes to Anderson, sweeping on the cover boundary.
England, with much-heralded opener Alex Hales -- he scored his country's first Twenty20 hundred, against Sri Lanka in March -- making his ODI debut, enjoyed a steady start to their chase.
But when left-handed opener Cook, going across his stumps, was lbw to Mohammed Shami for 19 as he aimed across the line it was start of a collapse from which they never recovered.
Three balls later Shami bowled Ian Bell (one) as the batsman left a nip-backer.
A similar delivery, this time from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, cleaned up Joe Root.
Hales had looked good early on but then got bogged down, scoring just 10 singles off his last 34 balls.
He was out for 40 when he top-edged a sweep off Jadeja's fourth ball short fine leg.
And 81 for four became 81 for five when, Jadeja induced Buttler (two) to chip a tame catch to Kohli at short extra-cover.
Eoin Morgan was dropped on 28 but then fell for the same score when his top-edged slog-sweep against off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was held in the deep.
Jordan's miserable day continued when he was plumb lbw for nought to Raina and the match ended when Tredwell holed out off Ashwin to Jadeja.

Kareena Kapoor's Mind Versus Heart Conflict

inShare

Kareena in a still from Singham Returns

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor has returned from her London vacation to a blockbuster Singham Returns. The movie has crossed the Rs 100 crore mark. But whether this is a redeeming act for Kareena on the silver screen is a question only she can answer, especially since she hasn't always made the right choices when it comes to selection of films in the past.

Queen, Ram-Leela and Fashion were films that were well received critically as well as financially. So who should they owe these performances to? The directors? The script? Or the supporting cast? The correct answer is Kareena Kapoor. Yes, long before these ladies got down to working on their respective projects, it was Bebo who was offered these films.

When Kareena was once asked about how she reacted when people like Anurag Kashyap advised her not to bother about who was acting in the movie but on the content, she replied, "That's the best piece of advice I've ever got and I should have got it from a lot of closer friends, but I'm happy that Anurag decided to say that because the fact is that it is the truth and my mother, my sister, Saif everyone stands by that."

The actress revealed that her decision to do certain films in the past was influenced by factors like friendship and now she would make more rational decisions in the future.

Kareena has also reportedly been talking about the films she had rejected in the past, which has not gone down to well with at least two of the leading ladies. In an interview, Deepika Padukone, who replaced Kareena in Ram-Leela, said, "It's silly for actors to talk about films that they didn't do because they are remembered for the ones they did."

Priyanka Chopra too has something to say about how she never takes credit for the Rs 100 crore-fetching films that she does, especially Krrish 3 and Don 2 and Agneepath. "I cannot take credit for the success of Krrish 3 and Don 2, I was just a supporting actor in the films and did not carry the movie on my shoulders. My film Barfi! also made Rs 100 crores, but Ranbir, Ileana and I had an equal contribution to make.

So, was Singham Returns a success only because Kareena was a part of it? Would 3 Idiots make the same amount of money without Kareena? Could SRK ever deliver a blockbuster with Ra One without his Chammak Challo are questions only Kareena can answer.

Now, No Monthly Limit on Subsidised LPG Cylinders

The Cabinet on Wednesday lifted the monthly cap on subsidised LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders, but retained the overall annual limit at 12 cylinders.

"LPG consumers to get 12 cylinders of 14.2-kg at subsidised rate in a year even if they don't consume one bottle a month," Telecom and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The government had raised the annual cap on supply of cheaper LPG from nine to 12 cylinders of 14.2-kg each on January 30 and the Oil Ministry on February 28 imposed a restriction that ordinarily one cylinder be given to each beneficiary every month.

"The Cabinet today came to a conclusion that this system is causing problem to the people. Sometimes people do not need one, sometimes during festive season demand is more. So there
was a feeling that if someone has not taken one cylinder on a given month, then in remaining months he won't get it," Mr Prasad said.

The subsidized rate for LPG cylinders in Delhi is Rs. 414 each and beyond the annual cap of 12 cylinders consumers have to pay the market rate of Rs. 920 per 14.2-kg cylinder.

Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda's Son Booked For Rape

Bangalore:  Hours after he got engaged, a case of rape and cheating was filed against Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda's son, Karthik late on Wednesday night. The complainant, a model and actor in regional films, claims to be his wife.

"She has filed a complaint in RT Nagar police station against Karthik Gowda, Sadananda Gowda's son, for allegedly raping and cheating her," said Bangalore Police Commissioner MN Reddi.

Before the complaint was filed, the minister said he suspected "a big conspiracy". "I feel hurt. My life is an open book. I will not lie or cheat public. This is kind of blackmail," he said.

Denying the allegations, Karthik said, "My father is a respectable man. Why should I spoil it?"

Earlier in the day, the woman had given interviews to local television channels, claiming she had met Karthik through a common friend. "How can he (Karthik) get engaged to another girl when he is already married to me?" she had said.

Karthik, she alleged, had even told her that he would convince her parents to accept the marriage.

PM Modi to Launch Plan for Every Indian Household to Have Bank Account

File Photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

New Delhi:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will promise today to provide a bank account for every Indian household when he launches a major initiative that could save billions of dollars in welfare spending and help mend strained state finances.

India has grown to become Asia's third largest economy, but nearly two-fifths of its 1.27 billion people do not have bank accounts. This leaves them dependent on moneylenders and other informal financing routes.

In a keynote speech this month, PM Modi made financial 'inclusion' a top priority of his administration. He followed this up by writing 725,000 emails to bank officials urging them to support the initiative.

"There is an urgency to this exercise as all other development activities are hindered by this single disability," he said in a Twitter post.

Narendra Modi won India's biggest electoral mandate in 30 years in May with a promise to revive India's flagging economy. So far, he is yet to launch the big-bang reforms needed to break out of a cycle of low growth and high inflation.

Some commentators say his emphasis on the new banking and insurance programme seeks to cement his support base among poor households with small savings.

Over 40 percent of Indians live on less than one dollar a day.

The launch of the Jan Dhan Yojana, or the Scheme for People's Wealth, comes weeks after Mr Modi blocked a global trade deal, saying it threatened the interests of poor farmers.

Under the banking scheme, account holders would get a debit card and accident insurance cover of up to 100,000 rupees ($1,654). They would also get an overdraft facility of up to 5,000 rupees.

BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES

By paying benefits directly into bank accounts, the scheme would seek to cut waste and corruption that inflate India's $43 billion subsidy bill, equivalent to more than 2 percent of its GDP, for handouts of grain, fuel and fertiliser.

The push for greater financial inclusion would also diminish the influence of moneylenders and other informal financing channels who operate outside the ambit of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), blunting its monetary policy tools.

While the drive for universal banking access is not new, the failure to provide services tailored for the poor and low-income groups has kept India way off its goal.

For example, many borrowers in the "unbanked" segment such as small-time traders need overnight loans of $25-30 that are not offered by commercial banks, making them turn to informal financing channels.

Puneet Chopra, associate director at a financial inclusion consulting firm MicroSave, said such a handicap could also trip up Mr Modi's project.

"Without addressing the specific needs of the segment you are targeting, you cannot hope to have much success," he says.

Mr Modi's plan to provide an overdraft facility could also end up swelling bad loans at Indian banks as it does not spell out how the banks can collect debts.

"If there is no mechanism on the ground to collect repayments or to service the accounts, these are likely to turn dormant as soon as the overdraft is disbursed," Mr Chopra said.

"There is a high risk that the scheme leads to a massive dole-out of subsidies instead of assisting the targeted distribution of benefits."

Bad loans at banks rose to 4.1 percent of gross advances in March from 2.4 percent in March three years ago, the RBI said in its annual report last week. Restructured loans, meanwhile, rose to 5.9 percent of gross advances in March from 2.5 percent in June 2011.

PM Modi Sets up Committee to Identify 'Obsolete' Laws

File photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

New Delhi:  Moving ahead with his resolve to weed out archaic rules and procedures as part of reforms process, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today set up a committee to identify "obsolete" laws which he believes hamper governance by creating "avoidable confusion".

The committee will submit its report in three months and on the basis of its recommendations a bill will be introduced in Parliament in the winter session.

The committee will examine "Acts and Rules which may have become obsolete within the last 10 to 15 years".

The decision to set up the committee is a follow-up to PM Modi's first major statement after becoming Prime Minister that archaic laws hamper governance and need to be identified and weeded out.

"The Prime Minister has approved the constitution of a Committee to carry out a review to identify obsolete laws," a PMO statement said here today.

"The newly-constituted Committee will examine all Acts recommended to be repealed by the Committee on Review of Administrative Laws", which had been appointed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1998," it added.

The PMO said Mr Modi has expressed concern that out of the 1382 Acts recommended for repeal by that Committee, only 415 have been repealed so far.

"He (Modi) has called for a focused and result-oriented exercise to systematically weed out archaic laws and rules," the statement said.

The committee will submit its report within three months, so that a comprehensive Bill can be introduced in the winter session of Parliament, based on its recommendations, it added.

The Committee will be chaired by R. Ramanujam, Secretary in the PMO. V.K. Bhasin, former Secretary, Legislative Department, will be its other member.

Mr Modi, while laying thrust on speedy delivery systems, had in his first meeting with all Secretaries of the union government said archaic rules and procedures should be done away with.

"There may be rules and processes which have become outdated and instead of serving the process of governance, they are leading to avoidable confusion", he had told the bureaucrats on June 4 and stressed the need to "identify and do away with such archaic rules and procedures".

Prime Minister Stands by Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Controversy Over His Son

Home Minister Rajnath Singh addresses the media

New Delhi:  In an attempt to pull the plug on what was seen as a major rift within the government, the Prime Minister's Office and BJP President Amit Shah today staunchly defended Home Minister Rajnath Singh, dismissing reports of his son's alleged misconduct as baseless.

A statement from the Prime Minister's office described the allegations against Mr Singh's son, Pankaj, "plain lies" and "a malicious attempt at character assassination and tarnishing the government's image."

Mr Shah said he is "personally hurt by the baseless and untrue reports."

In the morning, Mr Singh, told reporters, "In the last 15-20 days, there have been continuous rumours in the air about me and my family... If any charges against any family member are proven, I will quit politics and sit at home."

Mr Singh allegedly holds another minister responsible for spreading rumours that his son, Pankaj, was recently castigated by the PM for inappropriate political conduct.

But no BJP leader elaborated on the charges against Mr Singh's son that provoked such detailed responses from the party's top rung.

Congress leader Ajay Maken said, "In public interest, we want to know what the charges are. And who are making those allegations that have pained Rajnath Singh so much that he talked about quitting politics."

Media reports today claimed that Mr Singh had lobbied unsuccessfully for his party to select his son as its candidate from Noida for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. The BJP has picked a 62-year-old woman entrepreneur as its candidate.

Pankaj Singh is a General Secretary of the BJP's Uttar Pradesh branch. BJP sources say that Mr Singh has been careful to ensure a low profile for his son and that the controversy that has engulfed him should not be linked to the by-election in Noida next month.

One of the Four Indians Suspected to Have Joined ISIS Reportedly Dead

The Maharashtra men suspected to have joined ISIS in Iraq

Mumbai:  A young Muslim man, one of four who left their homes in Maharashtra to fight with the Islamic State in Iraq, has reportedly been killed.
 
Sources in the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad say Arif Majeed's family received a call on Tuesday that he had died in Mosul, one of the towns worst affected by the fighting between Iraqi forces and the hardliner Sunni militants of the Islamic State. One of Arif's associates reportedly called his parents and told him he had died in an explosion.

Arif and three other engineering students left their families in Thane on the outskirts of Mumbai in May. They said they were going for a pilgrimage to the holy city of Karbala in Iraq. Six days later, they separated from their group and allegedly took a taxi to Mosul.

In a letter to his parents, Arif had reportedly said he was joining the battle to defend Islam.

Investigators have reportedly found a money trail that confirms that the young students joined the Islamic State. Intelligence officials told NDTV earlier this month that they believe the group from Thane may have been recruited over the internet.

Arif's father Ejaz Majeed said he called on May 26, saying he had reached Baghdad.

Ejaz Majid reportedly met Home Minister Rajnath Singh in July and sought help to bring his son back.

For PM, Advice To Avoid Ministers With Criminal Cases: 10 Facts

File pic: PM Narendra Modi and his Cabinet after being sworn in

New Delhi:  The Supreme Court today stopped short of disqualifying ministers with criminal cases, leaving the decision to the "wisdom of the Prime Minister", but made it clear that such ministers have no place in the government.

The court said as conscience keeper of the Constitution, the PM must avoid taking ministers involved in serious offences.

• 
• 
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Here is your 10-point cheat-sheet to the story:

1. A Constitution bench of the country's five senior most senior judges said it is not for the court to issue any direction to the PM or Chief Ministers, but "it is the prophetic duty of this court to remind the key duty holders about their role in working the Constitution."
2. The court said it expected the PM to act with "constitutional morality and responsibility" and choose not to take ministers with doubtful integrity.
3. "Will any reasonably prudent master leave the keys of his chest with a servant whose integrity is doubted?" the judges asked, adding, "Corruption is an enemy of the nation. As a trustee of the Constitution, the PM is expected not to appoint unwarranted persons as ministers."
4. Today's ruling was on a petition that sought to bar MPs with "criminal backgrounds", including those charged but not convicted, from being appointed ministers at the Centre and in states.
5. India bans those convicted of serious crimes from holding office, but not those facing charges.
6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP won a massive mandate to take power in May, partly on a promise of a clean government after the previous Congress-led administration was weighed down by corruption charges.
7. Thirteen of PM Modi's 45 ministers have been charged with criminal offences, eight of those involving serious charges, according to the Delhi-based Association of Democratic Reforms, a clean government advocacy group.
8. There are 13 cases against Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Uma Bharti, including two charges related to attempted murder and six charges of rioting.
9. MPs say charges against them are false or the result of political vendetta. Those convicted of crimes have traditionally continued in office by filing an appeal in India's notoriously slow courts.
10. In a landmark judgement last year, the Supreme Court ruled that MPs sentenced to more than two years in jail should be disqualified, even if they have appealed to a higher court. The UPA's bid to undo that with an ordinance fell through.

'If They Take Away One Hindu Woman, We'll Take Away 100 Muslim Women': Yogi Adityanath

  New Delhi:  BJP Member of Parliament Yogi Adityanath, who recently drew flak over his controversial statements in Parliament, has once again stirred a controversy.

In an undated video of his public speech that surfaced late on Tuesday, the lawmaker from Gorakhpur can be heard saying, "If they take away one Hindu woman, we will take away a 100 Muslim women".

The Opposition has slammed his remark, with Congress leader Rashid Alvi saying, "Only a man whose mind is sick can make such a statement. Only a man who is mentally imbalanced can say such things".

On August 13, he had delivered a controversial speech in Parliament, which included the declaration that "Hindus, when threatened, must be prepared to organise themselves and fight back."

His comments came during a debate on the disturbing trend of communal violence in states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

The 42-year-old leader faces charges in cases linked to inciting communal tension.

Third American Hostage Held by Islamic State is Woman Aid Worker

Members of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

Washington:  Family members and U.S. officials say the Islamic State militant group has been holding a young American woman hostage in Syria since last year.

The woman had been working for several humanitarian aid groups when she was kidnapped.

The U.S. government and the woman's family requested Tuesday that she not be named for fears of her safety.

The administration officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the issue publicly.

The woman is one of at least three known hostages of Islamic State militants in Syria. Another, James Foley, was beheaded by the militant group more than a week ago.

Other American hostages were being held by other groups. These include Peter Curtis, who was released by al-Nusra Front earlier this week.

Where Are the 'Achche Din', Asks a Dead Soldier's Broken Father

Bulandshahr:  The road narrows as it meanders to a large green gate with pink walls. Inside, a bright pink shamiana shelters people from the scorching sun. There is no chance of mistaking the large gathering for a celebration. The corners echo the cries of a young wife who has seen her husband come home in a body bag a fortnight after he left home, promising to be back soon.

This is the home of Naik Neeraj Raghav of 57 Rashtriya Rifles who lost his life fighting infiltrators in Kupwara in North Kashmir. His relative Abresh Raghav tells us, "The army men who accompanied Neeraj's remains told us that when the helicopter came to evacuate him, he was still alive. He had said to them that had he had shot at least four infiltrators and had he a little more life left in him, he would have killed more. We are very proud of him."

Naik Neeraj Raghav, 32, didn't make it alive to the army medical camp that he was flown to. Over a decade ago, he broke with the tradition of a family of farmers to join the army. His two sons are too young to understand why the whole village has descended on their home, or why their mother is inconsolable.

Ombir Singh, Naik Neeraj Raghav's father tells NDTV, "Is it too much to ask for some respect for the dead? Is it too much to ask for some leader to meet us, to give us some assurance that the government will not abandon us? My son died fighting for our country. He's not going to come back now, is he? It is up to me to make sure his family is taken care of," he says, his eyes bright with tears.

This morning he refused to cremate his son till Home Minister Rajnath Singh finally spoke to him assuring all help. 70 km away in Baahpur, in western UP, Grenadier Rahul Kumar's father also had some questions for the government. "We were promised achche din (good days). Where are they? We were promised tougher action along the border, where are the achche din we were promised?" asks Jai Kishen Singh whose 23-year-old son has also just died fighting militants in Kashmir.

In just this month, there have been 23 ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control and over 75 from the beginning of the year. At the home of the martyrs, there is a sense of pride and betrayal. But most of all there is the searching question- "Will my son's sacrifice go in vain?"

SBI Lowers Interest Rate on Home Loans

New Delhi: State Bank of India, the country's largest lender, on Tuesday slashed interest rates on housing loans by up to 0.15 per cent, a move likely to be followed by other banks.

Home loans of up to Rs. 75 lakh would now be available to fresh borrowers at 10.10 per cent against the existing rate of 10.15 per cent, State Bank of India (SBI) said in a statement.

The bank has removed the additional concession of 0.05 per cent given to women borrowers earlier and has brought in uniformity to all borrowers.

With regard to loans of above Rs. 75 lakh, the new rate would be 10.15 per cent from the existing rate of 10.30 per cent, down by 0.15 per cent.

"It has now been decided to offer uniform interest rate on home loans with effect from August 26, irrespective of the loan amount," it said.

SBI home loans are available under two slabs - under Rs. 75 lakh and above Rs. 75 lakh.

Previously, the interest rates on home loans were revised downwards on December 20, 2013 with a separate interest rate structure for woman borrowers at 10.10 per cent (on loans up to Rs. 75 lakh) and 10.25 per cent (on loans above Rs. 75 lakh) too, it said.

In the August review of monetary policy, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept short-term lending rate unchanged at 8 per cent, while the cash reserve ratio (CRR) was kept at 4 per cent citing upside risks to inflation in view of uncertain monsoon and its impact on food production as also volatile international oil prices.

Subsequently, the bank rate was retained at 9 per cent.

In order to infuse additional liquidity, the RBI decreased SLR for banks by 0.50 per cent to 22 per cent with effect from the fortnight beginning August 9.

A similar move in June had released an additional Rs. 40,000 crore into the system.

Nifty Continues Retreat from Record High

Mumbai:
The Nifty edged lower for a second consecutive session on Tuesday as firms including Jindal Steel and Power extended their slump after a Supreme Court ruling on coal allocation, while lenders fell due to concerns over their loan exposure.
The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the allocation of more than 200 coal blocks since 1993 was illegal and analysts warned any mass cancellation could have a wider corporate and economic impact.
But broader losses on Nifty were capped as defensive stocks such as ITC rose as investors cut risk in portfolios amid uncertainty over the coal allocation ruling and ahead of the expiry of derivatives on Thursday.
"The coal block surprise seems discounted now but it will remain as a hangover on markets till the final judgement comes from the Supreme Court," said G. Chokkalingam, founder of Equinomics, a research and fund advisory firm.
The broader Nifty fell 0.02 per cent, or 1.55 points, to end at 7,904.75, retreating further from a record high of 7,968.25 hit on Monday.
Still, the Nifty managed to close above the psychologically important 7,900 level.
The benchmark BSE Sensex gained 0.02 per cent, or 5.79 points, to end at 26,442.81.
Coal users fell further, following a broad sell-off on Monday after the ruling, which jeopardised projects built around the blocks and threatens to exacerbate a shortage of the fuel.
Jindal Steel and Power Ltd fell 6.5 per cent, adding to Monday's 13.9 per cent slump. Tata Power fell 2.8 per cent after the company said the Supreme Court ruling includes the Tubed, Mandakini coal blocks allotted to the company.
Reliance Power fell 6.9 per cent, while Adani Power lost 6.4 per cent.
Among lenders that have exposure to the power sector, State Bank of India lost 0.4 per cent, Power Finance Corp lost 1.1 per cent and Union Bank lost 3.4 per cent.
Oil and Natural Gas Corp ended down 2.5 per cent on equity dilution concerns due to a potential share sale by the government.
Maruti Suzuki Ltd fell 1.2 per cent while Mahindra and Mahindra lost 0.8 per cent after the Competition Commission of India imposed penalties on car makers.
However, Tata Steel gained 2.5 per cent, recovering after a 4.8 per cent fall on Monday. Analysts said the company would not be hurt by the ruling on coal allocations.
Meanwhile, defensive stocks rose, with cigarette maker ITC gaining 0.9 per cent and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries closing up 1.3 per cent.

Pakistan Crisis Deepens, Cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri Issues 48-hour Ultimatum to Government

Islamabad:  Pakistan's political crisis deepened today with cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri giving a fresh 48-hour ultimatum to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down after a former top Election Commission official backed protesters' allegations of rigging in last year's polls.

Buoyed by former additional secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Afzal Khan's claim that the general election in which Sharif won by a landslide was rigged, protesters headed by Mr Qadri and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan stepped their campaign against the government.

"I ask the members of National Assembly to leave the house before my deadline expires," Mr Qadri said addressing his supporters outside the Parliament.

"All the credit for this struggle goes to the people," he said. Mr Qadri blamed the ruling PML-N for letting the situation escalate to this stage.

Mr Qadri said on the twelfth day of the protest, it was now transforming into a "revolution".

The cleric turned politician alleged that the procedure followed to select the election setup and the way the polls were held, assemblies were formed, was in clear violation of the Constitution.

"We consider the government unconstitutional from the very first day," Qadri said.

Mr Qadri gave the 48-hour deadline to the government, asking it to dissolve the assemblies, let the FIR of Model Town incident in which 14 of his supporters were killed be registered and release Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report.

He also demanded that Prime Minister Sharif and his brother Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif be arrested.

In an interview to a private TV channel last night, Afzal Khan had alleged, that former chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice (retd) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Justice
(retd) Riaz Kayani and former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim were involved in the rigging. Khan retired on May 17 last year.

Mr Kayani today refuted Afzal Khan's allegations, terming them as bogus and a conspiracy. He said Khan had leveled false allegations, because he had not being given a service-extension.

"Election 2013 unravelling as ppl come forward 2 give evidence of planned rigging. Latest is confession of Retd Add Sec ECP M Afzal Khan," Imran Khan tweeted.

"BUT Nawaz Sharif resignation necessary so all those in the know & willing to testify are given security & protection," he tweeted.

No talks took place today between the government and protesters. Three rounds of negotiations have failed to break the deadlock that has now lasted for 12 days.

Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma to Tie the Knot? No, Says the Actress

Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma's representative has rubbished reports that she is planning to tie the knot with Indian cricketer Virat Kohli.
There were reports that BCCI had allowed the 26-year-old actress to stay in the same hotel as Kohli, the vice-captain of Indian Cricket Team, during the tour of England as they were going to tie the knot soon.
But, now the actress' representative has released a statement saying there is no truth to the story.
"There are several stories online about Anushka Sharma's impending wedding. However I would like to set the record straight that there is absolutely no truth to these rumours and I would like to request you to refrain from conjecturing about the same," her representative said.
Kohli and Anushka have been grabbing headlines ever since they were first spotted together during the tour of New Zealand.